Clinch-nut machine



Jan. 16, 1940.

P. E. DOUBLE ET AL CLINCH-NUT MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet1 INVENTORS P/ummer Eflou/e P117174 11 0 cer 1940- v P. E. DOUBLE gr AL2,187,647

CLINCH-NUT MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR;Plum/new 5 Jo u a F ran/1 h asc e r Jan. 16, 1940. P. E. DOUBLE El AL I2,137,547

CLINCH-NUT MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORSlllillllll ll Fran/f 3 401 c 4 e r hx Patented Jan. 16, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE Flint,

Mich.

Application July 28, 1937, Serial No. 156,184

13 Claims.

- 5 pending application, S. N. 81,887, filed May 26,

An object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thecharacter referred to, which will overcome many of the diiiicultiesinherent 10 in devices of this kind heretofore known.

' Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter referred to, which is simple in construction, eflicient'inoperation, and easily adjustable to take care of a great variety ofproduction problems.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a machine of thecharacter referred to, with which clinch-nuts may be firmly attached tometals of several gauges without the necessity of manual adjustment.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter referred to, which will permit clinch-nuts to be attached toother elements in positions closer to bends and angles .9 in thoseelements.

. the machine.

Another object is the provision of a device of the character referredto, which is provided with a resiliently mounted anvil adapted to takeup any overload on the anvil during its operation.

A further object is the provision of a device in which a completeriveting operation is accomplished by one revolution of the machine.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willappear as the description proceeds, reference being made from time totime to the accompanying drawings, constituting a part of thisdisclosure, in which drawings like reference characters indicate likeparts throughout, in which drawings:

Fig. i is a front elevation of the clinch-nut machine embodying ourinvention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a clinch-nut such as used in connectionwith our machine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a fragmentary piece of metal providedwith an aperture, and to which the nut illustrated in Fig. 3 is to beattached.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same piece of 5 metal illustrated inFig. 4, showing how the nut illustrated in Fig. 3, is inserted throughthe aperture, and before being attached by the machine.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary detail, partly in section,illustrating the punch.

Fig. '7 is a section taken on line l--| of Fig. 8. and illustrates thesheet of metal and nut after attaching.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the piece of metal after the nut has beenattached thereto.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the machine and illustrates a sectiontaken on line 9-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken on the line lill|i of Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a rear elevation, with parts broken away and partly insection, taken on line ll-H of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a section taken on line [2-42 of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary-' section taken on the line I 3|3 ofFig. 12.

Fig. 14 is a section taken on the line "-44 of Figs. 9 and 16.

Fig. 15 is a section taken on line [5-45 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged fragmentary front view with parts broken away andwith the anvil, partly in section, taken on line It of Fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section,illustrating thetucker bar, raceway, and anvil.

Fig. 18 is a view, partly in section, taken on line i8-l8 of Fig. 1'7,illustrating the raceway from the hopper leading into the nut carrierbar.

Fig. 19 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken on the line |8l8of Fig. 17 and illustrates the position of the tucker bar when ready toplace a nut onto the anvil. 45

Fig. 20 is an elevation, partly in section, illus- -trating the anviland nut carrier bar assembly, and illustrating, by dotted lines, severalpositions assumed by the tucker arm, tucker, and nut carrier bar. 50

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that inthe embodiment herein disclosed, the principal working parts of ourinvention are housed within a casting 35, the latter being secured to asecond casting 36 by 5 is adapted to engage a shoulder 88, formed on thecasting 85 to provide a bearing surface. At

the lower extremity the tubular member 88 tele-- scopes a three-footedbase member 48, the latter being split ,on one side as at 4|, andprovided with flllister head screws 42 adapted to draw the split sectiontogether. The pedestal assembly just described enables the operator toadiust the machine to various heights.

Adjustably mounted on the tubular member 88 is a motor supportingbracket 48 which is also split on one side and provided with cap screws44. to enable it to be secured in any desired position on the tubular.member 88. A cover plate 45 (Fig. 2) is adapted to form a cover for theopening in the side of the casting 85, and its. removal permits readyaccess to the working parts contained within the casting 85, as isdescribed more particularly hereinafter.

Superimposed on the housing 85 and secured thereto by means of bolts 45,is a bracket 41 which is adapted to support the hopper 48 as hereinafterdescribed.

Tie bolts 48 extend vertically through the casting 85 for purposes ofreinforcement. These tie bolts 48 carry nuts 58 at each end, the nuts atthe top being arranged to engage ofl'sets 5| formed on the exterior ofthe casting 85, and the nuts at the bottom being arranged to engagebosses 52 formed inside at the bottom of the casting 85. The front ofthe casting 85 is provided with a recess 53 which is arranged to providenecessary clearance for stock to be passed over the anvil 54, the latterbeing supported by the front end of the anvil relief lever 55, ashereafter described. The lever is fulcrumed on a pin 55 which issupported at either end in the sides of the casting 35. The rear end ofthe anvil relief lever 55 (Fig. 9) terminates in a yoke 51 through whichis extended a pin 58, which may be held against displacement by anysuitable means such as by cotter pins. An eye bolt 58 is arranged toengage the pin 58 and to extend downwardly through an internallythreaded boss 58 formed in the bottom of the casting 85. An externallythreaded screw 8| is threaded into the boss 58, and is adapted to puttension on the spring 52, which is carried by the eye bolt 58. Thespring 5| is held against downward displacement by means of washer 53,and a casteilated nut 54. By properly adjusting the tension on thespring 52, any overload on the anvil 54 will be automaticallycompensated for as explained more fully hereinafter.

The anvil 54 (Fig. 20) is provided with a bayonet 55 which is adapted toslide vertically in a bayonet slot 55 formed in the member 51, which ispreferably a steel casting secured to the front end of the main castingby means of fillister head screws 58. The anvil 54 rests of its ownweight on the front end of the anvil relief lever 55 and is securedagainst upward displacement by means of a locking pin 88 which isadapted to engage a slot 18 formed in the back of the anvil 54, and acounter bored hole 1| in the steel casting 51. The locking pin 58 has acentrally disposed bore which is arranged to carry a compression spring12 which normally holds the pin 58 in position of engagement with theanvil 54 as shown in Fig. 20. The anvil is provided with a horizontalpassageway 18 immediately in front .of the locking pin 88, into aroma?which a tool may be inserted to force the locking pin 58 out ofengagement with the anvil 54. When the locking pin 58 is pushed out ofengagement with the anvil 54, the latter may be slid upwardly andremoved from the bayonet slot. This is an important feature as itenables the operator to remove the ianvil with great speed and rapidity.The anvil54" (Fig. 20) is provided on one side with a fixed jaw 14 (Fig.16), which is secured thereto by means of rivets 15, and on the otherside with a movable jaw 15 which in turn is provided with a centrallypositioned lug 15a, through which passes pivot pin 11, the latter beingpress-fitted into a bore provided therefor in the anvil.

A compression spring 18 is carried in a recess formed in the anvil belowthe pivot pin 11, and is adapted to rock the jaw 15 on the pivot 11, andforce the upper end of the Jaw 18 toward the fixed Jaw 14 in order thata clinch-nut may be firmly gripped between said Jaws. 4

Supported at each end, by means of bearings 88 (Fig. 9), positioned insuitable recesses at either end of the casting 85, is a main drive shaft8| which is lubricated in the bearings 88 by suitable oil cups 88. Atthe front end of the shaft 8|, there is machined an eccentric crank 84to which is mounted for reciprocal motion, a plunger link 85, which isprovided with a suitable bearing 85a and oiling means 85b. To the lowerend of the plunger link 85 is movably attached, by means of pin 85, aplunger 81 which is provided with suitable bearings 88 and 88, thelatter being part of the cover plate 82. To the lower end of the plunger81 is threadingly supported the punch 88. The lower portion of theplunger 81 is split, and the split section is provided with a threadedhorizontal bore which is adapted to receive a locking screw 8|, thelatter being adapted to secure the punch 88 to be advanced or retreatedto any desired position, and enables the punch 88 to be easily removedin the event that a replacement 'is necessary. Positioned about thepunch 88 is a stripper spring 8| which holds the work in alignment onthe anvil 54 during the clinching operation, and automatically releasesthe work from the punch 88 after the clinching operation.. The eccentriccrank 84, the plunger link 85 and the plunger 81 are covered by means ofthe cover plate 82 which is secured to the casting 85 by screws 88.

Keyed to the shaft 8| is a cam member 84 (Fig. 9) which is arranged toengage a roller 85 carried on the tucker arm 85, the latter being formedat its upper end with. a yoke member 81 (Fig. 15) which is pivoted onthe shaft 88, the latter being secured at either end in bosses 88 formedin either side of the main casting 85. The spacer 84b is positioned onthe shaft 8| and is arranged to contact a thrust washer 840 also carriedon shaft 8|, and in contact with the shoulder formed on the inside ofthe casting 85. The spacer 84b and the thrust Washer 840 are intended tomaintain the cam 84 in predetermined posltion on the shaft 8|.

Mounted on the shaft 88 intermediate the arms of the yoke 81 is a secondyoke I88, the arms of which are downwardly disposed and adapted toengage opposite sides of the main shaft 8|, for the purpose of centeringthe tucker arm 88 immediately below the main shaft 8|. At the lower endof the tucker arm 85 is a roller l8| which is arranged to engage a camsurface I82 formed on the under side of the nut carrier bar I88, thelatter being pivoted at its rear end on a pin the housing 35 by means ofcap screws I00. Upon loosening the cap screws I00, the bracket may belowered or elevated by the adjusting screw I01, and locked in positionby means of nut I00.

The front end of the nut carrying bar I03 remains free for upward anddownward movement under the influence of the cam surface I02 riding onthe roller MI.

The arm 36 is moved forward and backward by reason of the engagement ofthe roller 95 w i igh the camsurface 940. on the member 94. tucker arm96 is urged forward by means of a tension spring I09, which is securedat one end to the tucker arm 96, and at the other end to a pin IIOextending through the front of the casting 35. The bar I03 is providedin its upper surface with a T-slot III in which is adapted toreciprocate a tucker member I I2, the latter being provided at its rearend with a yoke II3 which is arranged to engage a pin II4 carried by thearm 96. Formed in the upper surface of the bar I03, ahead of the tuckerII 2, is a second slot in which is secured, by means of flllister headscrews II5, a steel insert II6 (Figs. 18 and 19) in which is formed aT-shaped slot II1, which is of sufficient size to accommodate clinchnuts 0- such as disclosed in Fig. 3. The clinch nuts IIO carried in theinsert II6 are arranged to be moved toward the anvil 54 by means of theforward movement of the tucker II2 as will be explained more fullyhereinafter.

The insert I6 (Figs. 18 and 19) is provided with an opening -I I9 on oneside to permit the introduction of clinch nuts thereto from the racewayI20, which extends from the hopper 40. Secured by means of a rivet I21to one side of the bar I03 immediately below the opening I I9 in theinsert H6, is a cam I2I. This cam extends upwardly along the side of theinsert H6 and is intended to push the nuts back in the raceway I20 uponthe upward movement of the bar I03, Secured to the steel insert II6 bymeans of screws I22 is an L-shaped cover member I23. This member I23 ispositioned on the insert II6 immediately above the opening II 9 therein.The cover member I23 is provided on its under side with a flat springI24 which is secured thereto by means of rivets I25. The spring I24 isintended to exert pressure on the nut I26 immediately ahead of the nut II3 (Fig. 17) so that, when the nut I6 is advanced to the position, ofnut I26 and toward the anvil by the tucker bar I I2, there remains anopening in the insert II6 for the reception of another nut from theraceway I20 on the downward movement of the bar I03. An adjustin'g screwI20 (Fig. 20) is mounted in a boss formed in the steel casting 61, andis adapted to limit the downward movement of the free end of the bar I03so that exact alignment may be had between the opening I I 9 in theinsert I I6 and the raceway I20. The set screw I20 is formed with a coneshaped end. The under edge of the bar I03 is provided with a groove I03awhich is adapted to contact the cone in such manner that when the screwI20 is moved inwardly the bar I03 is held in a higher position and whenthe screw is moved outwardly the bar is allowed to assume a lowerposition. A slight turn of the screw I20 effects the usual requiredadjustment. A tension spring I29 is secured to the under side of the barI03 and its other end is connected to the anvil relief bar 55 and isintended to steady.

the bar I03 and prevent vibration thereof on the roller IOI.

The shaft 0i is driven by means of an electric motor I30 through theclutch I3I, the fly wheel I32, the belt I3, the idler pulley I34-and thebelt I35. The motor I30 is mounted by any suitable means on the bracket43. The idler pulley I34 is mounted on the stud I30 which is secured bymeans of a nut to the casting 35. The idler pulley I34 laprovided with asuitable bearing I31 which s lubricated by means of the oil cup I30. Theclutch I3I consists of a plate I39 which is freely mounted on the shaft3i and is secured by means of illlister head screws I40 to the fly wheelI32, the latter being provided with a bearing I32a and secured on theshaft 3| by means of thrust collar I32b held by suitable set screws. Theclutch plate I39 is arranged to engage the clutch collar I which isconnected to the shaft 0I as at I42 by means of clutch pin I43, which isslidably mounted in a recess formed in the clutch collar The pin I43 isnormally held in extended position by means of compression spring I44which is carried in an internal bore provided in one end of the clutchpin I43. The spring I44 is arranged to contact the thrust collar I46which is secured to the clutch collar MI by means of rivets. The clutchpin I43 is held against rotation by means of a key which is arranged toengage a slot formed in the clutch pin I43. The working surface of theclutch pin I43 is adapted to engage corresponding working surfaces I5Iformed on the inside of the clutch plate I39. The clutch pin I43 is heldin inoperative by means of the clutch release bar I52, the upper end ofwhich is arranged to engage a slot formed in the under side of theclutch pin I43. The clutch release bar is slidably mounted in recessesformed in the main housing 35 and secured against displacement by coverplates I53 and I54 which are secured in position by cap screws I55. Theclutch release lever I52 is normally held in upward position by means ofa compression spring I56,

which rests at the bottom on the casting 35, and.

at the other end abuts the end of a. bore I51 formed in the lever I52.The clutch releasebar I52 is provided along one side with an under cutbearing surface I58 which is arranged to engage the trip pawl I59rockingly secured by means of stud I60 to the trip lever I6I, the latterbeing pivoted bymeans of stud I62 in a boss I63 formed on the inside ofthe casting 35. The pawl I59 is arranged to rock downwardly and is heldagainst upward displacement by means of an offset, which is arranged toride on the top surface of the lever I6I. A tension spring I65 issecured between a mounting stud, fastened in the upper side of the pawlI59, and a mounting stud I61 which is carried in the upper surface ofthe trip lever IN. This spring is arranged to return the pawl I59 to itsnormal position after it has been rocked downwardly, as will appear morefully hereinafter. I

A cam block I63 is slidably mounted in the casting 35 and securedagainst displacement by the cover plate I53, and rests of its own weighton the top of the trip lever I6I. The cam block I60 is formed at itsupper end with a curved surface I69 which is adapted to ride on camsurface I10, formed on the clutch collar I, for the purpose of holdingthe pawl I59 out-of engagement with the lever I52, so that the lattermay return to its normal position to enable it to engage the slot formedin the clutch pin I43, to

disengage the clutch pin I43 from the clutch plate 15 I30, upon thecompletion of a single revolution. With this mechanism the clutch canremain in engaged condition only during one revolution of the fly wheel.

The trip lever IGI is connected to a foot pedal III by means of aconnecting rod "2 so that the clutch may be engaged for one revolutiononly by the downward movement of the foot pedal III. In order tore-engage the clutch I3I after one revolution it is always necessary torelease the foot pedal I'II.

The hopper 48 is supported by means of a spider I13 which is mounted forrotation on stud Il4, which in turn is secured to the hopper base I",the latter being secured to the bracket 41 by means of cap screws H6.The stud H4 is provided with threads at either end and arranged toengage nuts I". The hopper 48 is rotated on the stud I" by means of a.belt I00, which passes around it, and the pulley I8I the latter beingdriven by the motor I03. The motor I03 and pulley IOI are supported by abracket I04 which is secured to the bottom of the hopper base I10. Asteel plate IOI is secured to the base I10. The plate IOI covers agroove IOIa. formed in the base I". The groove I9Ia communicates withthe raceway I20 and serves as part of the track for nuts fed from thehopper 40.

After the machine is fully assembled as hereinabove described andconnected to a proper source of electrical power and a sufficientquantity of clinch nuts is placed in the hopper 40, a typical operativecycle is described as follows:

The nuts travel downwardly in the raceway I20 to a position adjacent thenut carrier bar I03. when this bar is in its lowered position as shownin Fig. 18, the opening H0 in the insert H0 is then in alignment withthe raceway I20 so that a nut, designated in this instance 0, may enterthe steel insert Hi. When the bar I03 is in the position shown in Figs.9 and 18, the machine is in neutral position. If the operator thendepresses the foot pedal III, the trip lever IOI is actuated, causingthe clutch release bar I52 to be lowered, disengaging the same from theclutch pin I43, so that the latter may be moved into engagement with theclutch plate I30, which is secured to the flywheel. Upon engagement ofthe clutch, the shaft II is caused to rotate, rotating with it the cam04 and the eccentric crank 84. As the cam 94 rotates it permits \aforward movement of the tucker arm 30 under the influence of the springI09, and as the tucker arm 08 moves forward, the roller on the endthereof, which is in contact with the cam surface I02, causes the nutcarrier-bar I03 to be elevated to the position shown in Fig. 19, andshown by the dotted lines in Fig. 20. After the nut carrier bar I 03 hasreached the limit of its upward movement, the tucker arm 00 continues tomove forward until the tucker bar II2, which is actuated thereby,strikes the nut which has Just been introduced from the raceway I20moving it forward a sufficient distance to permit the entrance ofanother nut from the raceway I20. The pedal III must be depressed asufficient number of. times to permit a suiilcient number of nuts toenter the nut carrier bar I03 before a nut will be introduced to theanvil. When the nut carrier bar is completely filled with nuts, the nextoperation of the machine will be effective to introduce a nut to theJaws of the anvil 04. An element,- such as a sheet of metal with anaperture such as disclosed in Fig. 4, is then positioned on the anvil sothat the exposed portion of the nut is extended through the aperture asillustrated in Fig. 5. In this condition the machine is now ready to beactuated for an effectivi clinching operation. when the foot pedal I 'IIis depressed this time causing the shaft 0| tc rotate, the punch 00 ismoved downwardly to contact the nut then in position on the anvil 54 Thespring 0Ia tends to hold the sheet of metal in fixed relation until thepunch 90 has clincheC the upper surface of the nut as illustrated inFig. 6. As the punch 90 is withdrawn from the anvil 54, the spring Olacauses the nut, which is then attached to the metal, to becomedisengagec from the punch 90.

The operation of the punch 90 is so timed that its working stroke iscompleted and it has entered its upward movement before the nut carrierbar I03 is elevated. In other words, the upward movement of the nutcarrier bar I03 is timed so that it follows the punch 90 in its upwardtravel. This is an important feature of the invention as three separateand distinct operations are performed with one throw of the bar I03. Theoperations performed are as follows: First, the bar I03 in movingupwardly contacts the under side of the sheet of metal, or other elementto which a nut has been clinched by the punch 90, dislodging the samefrom the anvil 54; second, when the insert on the bar I03 is inalignment with the anvil jaws, a nut is injected into the anvil leavinga space in the insert opposite the raceway I20; third, the space justreferred to is then filled by the introduction of a new nut from theraceway I20.

As hereinbefore described, this machine makes a complete cycle upon onerevolution of the shaft and each successive cycle or clinching operationrequires the operation of the foot pedal Ill. Should the anvil 54 becomeoverloaded for any reason, because too thick a piece of metal is beingused or because the metal is misplaced on the anvil, the overload willautomatically be taken up and the shock absorbed by means of the spring02. This is an important feature of the invention as it obviates muchdifficulty heretofore encountered in clinching machines. Anotherimportant feature of this invention is that because of the constructionand arrangement of the hopper, the nuts in the raceway I20 are at alltimes free to travel up and down in said raceway. Because the nuts aredeposited in the raceway I20 in an opposite direction to the rotation ofthe hopper, there is no opportunity for the nuts to become jammed. Thecam I2I positioned on the side of the bar I03 imparts a backward andupward motion to all the nuts in the race way I20 as the bar movesupwardly. This gives the nuts a fresh start downwardly when the bar I 03is returned to its lower position thereby enabling a new nut to beintroduced to the insert I I6 by force of gravity.

Having described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a clinch-nut machine, including a housing, the combination of ananvil mounted on said housing. a drive shaft, means for intermittentlyrevolving said shaft, a punch mounted on said drive shaft, a nut carrierbar adapted to guide nuts to said anvil, and means actuated by saidshaft for raising and lowering said nut carrier bar and advancing towardsaid anvil nuts carried by said bar.

2. In a clinch-nut machine, including a housing, the combination of ananvil, a drive shaft, means for intermittently connecting said shaft 1to a power source, a punch mounted on said shaft, a nut carrier baradapted to receive nuts and having means for discharging nuts, and meansactuated by said drive shaft for raising and lowering said bar andactuating said discharging means.

3. In a clinch-nut machine, including a housing, the combination of ananvil mounted to said housing, a drive shaft intermittently connectibleto a power source, a punch adjustably mounted for reciprocation by saidshaft, a nut carrier bar, means carried by said bar for receiving anddischarging nuts, a cam on the under side of said bar, a tuckerreciprocably mounted in said bar, said tucker being in alignment withthe nuts received by said bar, means actuated by said shaftadapted toraise and lower said bar, and means connected with said shaft actuatedmeans for punch mounted on said shaft, means for intermittentlyconnecting said shaft to a source of power, a nut carrier bar adjustablypivoted at one end to said housing, a cam actuated by said shaft, an armactuated by said cam, said arm having a roller at its lower end adaptedto ride on a cam surface formed on the under side of said bar, means onsaid bar for receiving nuts from a source adjacent thereto, and a tuckerslidably mounted on said bar in alignment with the nut receiving means,said tucker .being arranged to be actuated by the aforesaid arc.

5. In a device of the character described, including an anvil and araceway for supplying nuts, the combination of a drive shaft, a nutcarrier bar pivoted at one end, the opposite end being adapted to bemoved up and down, means between said shaft and said bar, said meansbeing arranged to raise and lower said bar, means carried by said barfor receiving a nut from said raceway, when said bar is in its lowestposition, and means actuated by said drive shaft for advancing a nut tosaid anvil when said bar is in its highest position.

6. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the nut carrier bar isprovided with a cam adjacent said raceway, which said cam is adapted toretain nuts in said raceway during the up and down movement of saidcarrier bar.

' '1. A combination as defined in claim 5, wherein the free end of saidnut carrier bar is arranged to travel adjacent oneside of said anvil,whereby material worked upon is automatically dislodged from said anvilby the up stroke of said bar.

8. In a device of the character described, including an anvil and a nutsupplying raceway, the combination of a nut carrier bar, one end ofwhich is arranged to move up and down adjacent said anvil, means carriedby said bar for suc cessively receiving nuts from said raceway, a tuckerfor advancing the nuts on said bar, means for raising said bar, andmeans for advancing said tucker at the end of the up stroke of said bar.

9. The combination as defined in claim 8, wherein there is a resilientelement carried by said bar to hold in predetermined position the nutadjacent said tucker, on the down stroke of said bar.

10. In a clinch-nut machine, including a housing, a punch, and means fordriving said punch, the combination of a bearing member secured to saidhousing, a slot in said bearing member, an anvil having a member adaptedto slide in said slot, a rocker arm for movably supporting said anvil,and retractable locking means for limiting the upward displacement ofsaid anvil.

11. In a clinch nut machine. including a housing, and a nut feedingraceway, the combination of an anvil mounted on said housing, said anvilhaving jaws adapted to grasp a nut, a drive shaft, means for removingsaid shaft, a punch mounted on said drive shaft, a nut carrier bar,means on said bar for receiving a nut from the raceway, means actuatedby said drive shaft for raising and lowering said nut carrier bar, andmeans actuated by said drive shaft for advancing a nut from said carrierbar to the Jaws of said anvil.

12. The combination defined in claim 11, wherein the punch is arrangedto move to and away from said anvil and the nut carrier bar is arrangedto follow the punch on the up stroke.

13. A device as defined in claim 5, wherein the nut carrier bar isprovided with a cam adjacent said raceway, which said cam is adapted toimpart a retreating motion to nuts in said raceway upon the upstroke ofsaid bar.

FRANK WASCHER.

